Loose leaf binder



March 8, 1938. s. G. JoHNsoN LOOSE -LEAF BINDER 2 Sheets-Shec Filed Feb. 8, 1936 /JQM INVENTOR.

LOOSE LEAF BINDER Filed Feb. 8, 195e 2 sr\ee,ts-she+v 2 u l l INVENTOR,

/ B` 5kg/y foi/1502i ATTORNEY.

are preferably intensi with the mit. n dnd zi,

however, they may be formed separate there from `and. secured thereto in any suitable manner.

rtwiiibenotedtnnttneendpien n and 2s. and the end pieces Il and 2l cooperate with each other to 'form end closures at the U-.shaped back 3l. 'Ihesaidpairsofendpiecesalsoserveasa stinening a'nd guide means to maintain the 'uplo standing legs of the hinged angles in their normal position. 'lhe end closure comprising end pieces 26 and It are straddled by a novel anti-racking locking lever as hereinafter described, the saidV locking lever being pivotally mounted on theend piece 2l. f v

The upstanding legs of angles 2l and Il are provided with a plurality of substantially frustoconical shaped depressions 21 having half` round apertures 2l punched through the base of the said depressions 21. The said apertures 28 are preferably arranged in the staggered relation indicated in Pig. 'I'in order that left hand prongs Il and right hand prongs il may be seeured'to angies Itandfl insuchamannerthatopposed 25 prongs cooperate with eachother'toform aringv when ythe binder is partially or fully `closed and the extreme or outsidelprongs of the binder are opposite hand. When extreme prongs of the binder are oppositehand and positioned in oppositely facing directions the punched filler sheets Il are more readily andsureiv luided and maintainedinstackedrelationshipduringuseofthe binder in'its closed,partly opened andopen position. f

* mupstnndingim mais :s and si ofthe metal angle back are also provided with aper'- tures.: through which the U-lhabed back l is,`

.securedtotnenidsnsiebackuhereinsrterdescribed.' Eachupstanding legofangles Il'andll 40 is bent outward at its upper edge to provide a lon-i gitudinally disposed strip u by. means of which a neat abutment is made between the metal angle back and the flexible Joint-securing thefrontand back covers 8l and Il respectivelytothe U-shapedback Il. I i Thebinge leg of the angle Il is -provided with aninwardlydisposedtabilusedtoretainthe springuofthelockingdeviceinitsproper position.` An aperture Il through the end piece 2l of the angle-2i is suitably disposed to receive a rivet la which securesthe locking lever 4I in pivotal reiationshipto the end piece It.V

Referring now particularly ,to Pigs. 2, 3, 4, 5 55 and6.thenovellockingdevicecomprisesalock ing lever. Il having a locking finger I2, an operating key I and an inverted U-shaped central portion u through which therivet Il secures the siiid locking lever Il in ypivotal relationship `izo-the end llece 2l. The central portion Il of the said i'ingerA l ofthe said locking lever in suiilcient` spaced relationship to the end piece 2l as to permit the end piece Il to rotate between the said finger 42 and the end piece 2t when the binder isv being'opened and closed. 'me spring n eoiied around the rivet Il has one end'retaine'd in a .m nxed position Vnimmst tnehinse ieg o: angie zi `between the inwardly disposed tab .l1 thmof and the end piece thereof. while the other end of the'spring 38 constantly urges the locking lever 4I to rotatetoward its locked position by means 15 of the'constant pressure exerted on the locking lever Il bridges over or straddles the end i numbernintcnetteetnmaybeundinthede ic tent yIl in order to provide alike number of partially opened positions of the binder.

. The cover assembly comprising front and backV y covers 8i and it respectively and thou-shaped y back Il are secured in the proper relationship to l5 the metal angle back bymeans yof rivets il punched thi-ouah the said U-shaped back into registrywith aperturesIfintheupiitandinglegii` of angles Il and 2i. 'nie 'topand bottom sides of the U-shaped back il are each provided with 20 a punched binder board illier stripll and a seeuringstrip lapreferablyofpressedflberboard. The finer strip Il has suitably spaced apertura 4I therein to receive the protuberances on tbs outside of the upstanding ieg of the anglesfll 25 and 2| land the Ahead Il formedon the butt end of the leaf impaling prongs l and Il.. thereby Y permitting the filler strip I1 and the securing'V the U-shaped back 33 is preferably notched 0l!` the inside thereof as indicated by tllieliulnelal` nin-the drawings tepel-mit sim-p centi-ni concdved sexing di the tnid u-'mnped mx u but; 3 4shown in l'lgs. .4 and 5.

In the manufacture of loose leaf binders hav'- inghaifroundopposed leaf impaiing prongs which` cooperate with each other toform a ring when vtimehinderispiirtiiiiiyori'iiiiyciosed.moduli-4 culty of adjusting the opposed prongs into a` position of accin'ate cooperation with eachother has caused great expense inthe manufacture. A material lesseningof cost of parts and the percentage ofrejectsin themanufacture and assesn-` 5 bl'yof looseleaf binders of the split prong type has been accomplished by thcherein disclosed structure andmethod of manufacture ofprongs` and angle backs. and the assembly of the prongs-` intoptne mit hun roudwed-by, n anni adida- 5 ment of the position of the entireprongiri;rie` spect to the angle back aiterassembly.l

In the 'angle back, as hereinbefore described. 1 theupstanding legs of the angles 2l and 2| are provided with n plurality or nihstnntiniiy mist@ 5.5 conical shaped depressions 2"` having half round apertures 28 punched through the base of the said depressions". Referring to Figs. 18 and 17 it will be noted thaty in forming the frusto-conical depressions that the metal at the periphery there'- 00 t ofhas been drawn thinner than the metal at the base of the depression 21 and thinner thanthe metal of the angle back Il. i vAfter the prongsll` and are secured tothe base of the depressions their position in relation to the surface of the' 45k upstanding legs of angles 2l and 2| may be adjustedby tripping the yprongs Il and 8l near the shoulders It at the butt end thereof and changing the plane of .thebase of the frusta-conical depressions I'I, an example of said adjustment being 70 by the dot and dashlines'll'in It isessentialv that a pliable accurate prong'is provided inasmuch as the aforementioned adiustment ofthe position of the prongs in relationto the surface of the upstanding legs of angles 20 and 2| is not the only adjustment required after assembly to assure the perfect registry of opposed prongs; in many cases the prongs per se must also be bent. It is impossible to mill the prongs flat from an umet round Wire without leaving an undesirable fillet between the flat surface and upset head thereof. Die castings do not lend themselves to pliability. Also, milled and die cast prongs have been found to be from four to six times as expensive as the making of half round arcuate prongs by the method herein disclosed.

Referring now to Figs. 9 to 15 inclusive, round Wire stock 5| is either rolled or extruded into stock of the desired cross section which, in the embodiment of the invention disclosed, is substantially half round as indicated by the numeral 52 in Fig. 9. The stock is then cut into blanks 53 of the proper length as shown in Fig. 10.

The blanks 53 are then inserted into a holding die 54 while a female shouldering and heading die 55 is brought against the end of the blank 53 protruding from the holding die 54 to form a shoulder 56 an'd a concaved butt 51 as indicated in the drawings. The concaved butt 51 is preferred to the usual flat butt inasmuch as it aids in forming a symmetrical prong securing head 58 without excessive heat when the prongs are secured by means of resistance welding. When upsetting the concaved butt 51 into a prong securing head 58 as in a riveting operation, it has been found that the use of a concaved butt 51 materially aids in providing tightly secured prongs.

' The preferred method of manufacture of prongs and assembly into hinged angle back metals disclosed herein and the two adjustments of the position of prongs after assembly provides an improved method of inexpensive quantity production of split prong loose leaf binders with opposed leaf engaging prongs in accurate relation to each other.

The frusto-conical shaped depressions provide an essential function of adjustability of prongs in relation to the angle back and at the same time remove the shoulders at the base of the prongs from interference with the punched filler sheets. The locking device is of a novel character which minimizes racking and distortion when opening and closing the binder, the minimizing of distortion of the parts of the binder being essential to long life and maintenance of the opposed leaf-impaling prongs in operating relationship to each other for accuratelyv guiding and engaging filler sheets.

Although but one embodiment of this invention and one particular application of this method has been shown and described, it'will be understood that numerous variations of the method may be had, and that numerous changes including `the size, shape, arrangement and details of the various parts hereof may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention, and it is not intended to limit the scope thereof other than by the terms of the appended claim.

I claim:

In a hinged angle back loose leaf binder having impaling prongs adapted to engage punched filler sheets when the binder is partially or fully closed, the combination of end pieces on the angle back in pairs cooperating to form end closures, a locking lever pivotally mounted on one end piece laterally spaced therefrom and having a portion thereof straddling said end piece of one end closure, a detent on the other end piece of said end closure, a spring around said pivotal mounting between the lever and the end piece to which it is pivoted constantly urging said locking lever'into registry with said detent also adapted to maintain the said locking lever in sulcient spaced relation to the end piece on which it is mounted to permit the other end piece to rotate therebetween when the binder is being opened and closed, and an operating key adjacent said straddling portion of said locking lever therefor for manually releasing said locking device.

STANLEY G. JOHNSON. 

